Today, Facebook Officially launched the desktop client of Facebook Messenger. Facebook Messenger is a Windows is a new, trial application that lets you use Facebook without being on www.facebook.com.
While you surf the web or use other applications on your computer, you can:

Chat and message with your friends on Facebook
See the latest updates from your friends in ticker
Get quick notifications about what’s going on

Internet Explorer 9 (IE9) is the latest web browser by Microsoft which was released about 9 months ago. As a general rule we should always keep web browsers up to date unless you have a specific software that you use which requires an older version of the web browser. An updated web browser normally offers faster browsing experience, contains additional features and also more security against web based exploits. Internet Explorer 9 comes with a new feature called ActiveX Filtering which allows you to browse the Web without running any ActiveX controls. ActiveX controls are actually pluginslike Adobe Flash Player, Apple Quicktime,Silverlight and Java that enable many rich web experiences but they can cause your computer to get infected if you are using an older version of the plugin that is vulnerable to exploits.

Hence, the ActiveX Filtering feature which is disabled by default offers you an easy way to help keep your web browsing activity safe. When ActiveX Filtering is turned on, visiting websites such as YouTube that requires Adobe Flash Player will show you a red bar on top saying “You need to upgrade your Adobe Flash Player to watch this video. Download it from Adobe” and at the bottom “Upgrade to Flash Player 10 for improved playback performance. Upgrade Now or More Info”. The error message will not go away even if you upgrade to the latest version of Flash Player because ActiveX Filtering is enabled.

ActiveX is a technology that's embedded into many of the top websites to enrich your browsing experience. It can be used for things like playing videos, displaying animations, and viewing certain kinds of files. However, ActiveX can also pose security risks and slow down your computer.
ActiveX Filtering in Internet Explorer can help you make an informed decision about every ActiveX control you run by giving you the ability to block ActiveX controls for all sites, and then turn them on for only the sites that you trust. This can help improve your protection against risky and unreliableActiveX controls.

Internet Explorer 8

IE8 also has it but buried. Just go to Manage addons -> double click the ActiveX addon and you can configure every addon this way to allow or disallow on all sites. If you disallow all, you can selectively allow ActiveX controls for only certain sites when you access them. This is in fact more flexible than "ActiveX filtering" which is an all or none toggle switch.

The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) introduced in October has been delayed until sometime in 2012. SOPA’s goal is to aid with the ongoing dilemma of copyright infringement, pirating, and/or the counterfeiting of intellectual property many US based media companies are facing by foreign and some domestic websites.

The scheme behind SOPA is to disable or withhold services from infringing sites by requiring Internet search providers, payment processors and other Internet related entities to deny services.

The tech industry feels protecting content is a worthy goal and should be pursued, but fears the content within the bill can lead to unintended consequences. For example, copyright holders would be able to find fault on a website, contact law enforcement officials, and get websites shut down or denied services. Furthermore, tech companies such as Google could face punishment if a pirated TV show is uploaded to YouTube.

SOPA is a change from the current process based on the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act, which expect companies to “act in good faith” when a copyright holder asks them to remove pirated content. However, under SOPA, sites could be punished first place and Internet companies are worried that they could be held liable for users’ actions.

While the media industry states online piracy websites such as The Pirate Bay which operates outside of the U.S. allows illegal downloads of movies, music and other digital content leads to U.S. job losses by depriving content creators income.

A similar bill to SOPA titled the Protect IP Act, was approved by a Senate committee in May of 2011, and is now pending before the full Senate. In addition, a bipartisan group of House members has proposed an alternative bill titled the Online Protection and Enforcement of Digital Trade Act (OPEN).

Even though both the media organizations and tech companies have suitable reasoning for supporting and opposing the bill, I think the tech industry and small bloggers and media organizations are at the most risk if this bill where to past. If a media organization accuses them of using their content in an inappropriate manner, request for that site to be denied of service, many of them do not have the resources for legal services to rectify the matter, thus allowing the media industry full power.

Stinger is a standalone utility used to detect and remove specific viruses. It is not a substitute for full anti-virus protection, but rather a tool to assist administrators and users when dealing with an infected system. Stinger utilizes next-generation scan engine technology, including process scanning, digitally signed .DAT files, and scan performance optimizations. It detects and removes threats identified under the "List Viruses" icon in the Stinger application.

Stinger Release Notes

Build Number: 10.2.0.448 Build Date: 30-Dec-2011

MD5: D2767DC6BC8C9537751C1B2233D316A1

SHA1: 8122FF96CF9212BD274D7F121996039488CB3A7C

Enhanced detections are those that have been modified for this release.

Detections are enhanced to cover new variants, optimize performance, and correct incorrect identifications. New Detections:

Leawo Free DVD to MP4 Converter software is a completely clean and freeware without time and watermark limitations, while Leawo DVD to MP4 Converter Prois a more powerful solution on converting DVD to MP4 video file. This DVD to MP4 converter Pro can not only easily convert DVD to MP4 formats for your portable media players like Apple TV, Apple TV 2, PSP, PS3, Archos AV500, Archos AV700, Creative Zen Vision, iRiver PMP, Zune, Android OS phones, etc. It also can convert DVD to MP4 for computer hard drive backup, movie playback and video composing, etc. Besides, this free DVD to MP4 Converter can also convert DVD to MP3, WAV, M4A, etc. for music entertaining on your finger top with earphones on the go!Leawo DVD to MP4 converter is an easy-to-use and user-friendly program which provides great help in converting DVD to MP4 for you. It supports inputting multiple discs at the same time for time saving. The built-in player allows screenshot to capture every vivid picture of the DVD video. Together with the powerful video editing functions of cropping video frame size, trimming duration, setting effects and watermark and parameters, this DVD to MP4 Converter practically makes it easy to convert DVD to MP4 file for portable players like iPod, iPhone, PSP, etc. with only several clicks.

Acceptable Use Policy ("AUP")
- Unsolicited Email: The sending or receiving of mass unsolicited email (SPAM) is a direct violation of Real-VPN's AUP.
- Email Bombing: The sending, return, bouncing or forwarding of email to specified user(s) in an attempt to interfere with or over flow email services is a direct violation of Real-VPN's AUP.
- Proxy Email (SPAM): The use of our VPN to proxy email unsolicited users is a direct violation of Real-VPN's AUP.
- UseNet SPAM: The use of our VPN to send, receive, forward, or post UseNet unsolicited email or posts is a direct violation of Real-VPN's AUP.
- Illegal Use: Any use of our VPN in a manner which is defined or deemed to be statutorily illegal is a direct violation of Real-VPN's AUP. This includes, but is not limited to: death threats, terroristic threats, threats of harm to another individual, multi-level marketing schemes, "ponzi schemes", invasion of privacy, credit card fraud, racketeering, and other common illegal activities.
- Child Pornography: Real-VPN has a zero-tolerance policy on child pornography and related sites. Download of child pornography is in direct violation of federal law and Real-VPN's AUP.
- Threats & Harassment: The Real-VPN network can be utilized for any type of individual, organizational or business use. This does not include threats to or harassment of individuals, organizations or businesses.
- Fraudulent Activities: Real-VPN prohibits utilizing its VPN for fraudulent activities. Participation in fraudulent activities is in direct violation of state and federal law and Real-VPN's AUP.
- Denial of Service: Real-VPN absolutely prohibits the use of its VPN for the origination or control of denial of service attacks or distributed denial of service attacks. Any relation to DOS or DDOS type activity is a direct violation of Real-VPN's AUP.
- Distribution of Malware: Real-VPN prohibits the distribution of malware, including without limitation, virus software, root kits, password crackers, adware, key stroke capture programs and other programs normally used in malicious activity. Programs used in the normal ordinary course of business are deemed acceptable.
- Phishing: Real-VPN strictly prohibits any activity associated with Phishing or systems designed to collect personal information (name, account numbers, usernames, passwords, etc.) under false pretense. Splash pages, phishing forms, email distribution, proxy email or any relation to phishing activities will result in immediate removal.

Any violation of our Acceptable Use Policy ("AUP") can lead to an account suspension and possible legal action against the customer.

Company Founded in: 2010
What makes them different: “Our team has a total of 8 years of experience in designing and coding internet privacy tools so we believe we have a pretty good idea what a good web service should look like.”
Provides: OpenVPN, PPTP, L2TP.
Servers:18 servers 9 countries: USA, UK, Canada, Germany, France, Netherlands, Ireland, Czech Republic and Luxembourg.

With servers in the USA, UK, Germany, Canada and Hong Kong we have been able to offer anonymous and secure VPN accounts worldwide since 2007. We operate 100% legally and will not tolerate any illegal activity on our network. For more background information i suggest doing a search on Google or reading some customer reviews to get a better overview of the quality of service to expect.
"We will respond to all emails as soon as possible and usually within the hour. We are also available for a live chat session when we are online. If you have any complaints or suggestions, please email me personally at johnny@bananahosting.com. " /Johnny K, Founder of Banana VPN

ProXPN is a free VPN service that is designed for use with Windows and Mac computers. ProXPN works by downloading a small free application which is used to connect to. The service is also compatible with the iPhone and other mobile phones that support VPN.

Features

-Upgrades your internet connection with VPN encryption
-Secures all types of connections from DSL and cable to 3G
-Gives you 100% private access to the internet
-Get an IP address in the USA, UK, or NL
With ProXPN Nobody Can...
-See the websites you visit
-Hijack your passwords, credit cards, or banking details
-Intercept and spy on your email, IMs, calls, or anything else
-Record your web history
-Run traces to find out where you live

The GPass service provides free VPN access as well as an impressive fast web proxy to use directly in your browser.The service seems very hot on security (good job, really), and even goes as far as to recommend an integrity check after you’ve downloaded the software (before installing). GPass is compatible with Windows only, and does not require registration.

Originally established as a safeguard for filesharers, Its Hidden offers a competitive free service as well as paid solutions, professional support and dedicated IP addresses.Registration is required, and once you’ve signed up you can connect to the service directly through your operating system by following the set-up guide, with no additional software required. The service is compatible with any operating system.

Offering 1GB of encypted traffic per month on the free package, CyberGhost is another Windows-only VPN client. In order to use the service you are required to register for a free account which unfortunately does not allow you to pick and choose your servers. This VPN is ideal for web surfing, but not as a dedicated file sharing solution

Features

Unlike normal proxies, CyberGhost VPN offers the highest level of security with maximum user-friendliness. Instead of searching for new proxies every day and configuring the browser manually, you only require a single click to be able to surf anonymously with CyberGhost VPN. This not only protects the browser, but also all the programs running on your PC.This includes, for instance, browsers (Mozilla Firefox, Opera, Internet Explorer, etc.), messengers (ICQ, MSN Messenger, Skype, etc.), download clients (HTTP, FTP, BitTorrent, etc.) and games (WoW, CS:S, etc.).

Offering a free VPN solution for Windows, Mac and iPhone. Hotspot Shield boasts “unlimited bandwidth” to those who need it. The service supports itself by providing advertising within web pages viewed using the service, as stated in the terms.It has been said that if you’re a Firefox user you can use the NoScript extension to hide these.

The free package provided by SecurityKiss brings you 300MB of data transfer per day, but provides an uncapped line with plenty of speed. You’ll need the SecurityKiss software to access the service, and this is only compatible with Windows.Despite not offering a whole lot of bandwidth, SecurityKiss will suffice in unblocking web services like Skype and YouTube you might otherwise be unable to access.

Features

SecurityKISS offers security solutions for businesses and individuals. We focus on protecting incoming and outgoing traffic - the element of online security which is so often neglected.
Our mission statement is to keep your Internet connection secure, private, and anonymous.
We lay particular emphasis on making our solutions as simple as possible to ensure that no technical experience is required to use them. Although we apply advanced technologies inside, using the software is as simple as a single click.
Our leading solution SecurityKISS Tunnel allows redirect all your online traffic through an impenetrable tunnel to our security gateway. With our services all your data is encrypted and secured.
SecurityKISS not only protects you against the threats but also keeps your privacy intact.

We provide Free PPTP based Personal VPN Service that encrypts all internet packets and tunnels online communication data through premium quality Canada secure servers. It changes end user’ visibility to the internet world and protects against online intruders and snoopers.

Free Canada VPN service supports any PPTP protocol clients. PPTP is a well known protocol embedded in most operation systems and mobile devices, so no additional software needed for this most popular VPN

connection, plus it works with ADSL, Cable Modem etc. all kinds of high speed internet. Want to speed up internet access, protect online identity and hide browsing history from being sniffed? Start using theCanada VPN service now, it’s FREE!

System Monitor II is famous because it is a powerful application that can show you (in an accurate mode) the CPU and RAM usage. System Monitor II comes with more features and options than the default Windows Task Manager andF it can provide you a better view of what is happening with your CPU and RAM.
Do you want to monitor your computer's health in real-time? Of course you can already do this from Task Manager by pressing CTRL+ALT+DELETE keys but if you want it on your computer desktop always then install the System Monitor II Windows Gadget. It will shows you all core CPU usage (1 Core, 2 Core, 3 Core, 4 Core, 6 Core, 8 Core, 12 Core, 16 Core or 24 Core) and RAM (physical, page file and full, includes virtual) usage. It also displays all cores and RAM usage history and cores temperatures (CoreTemp must be running on the background).

Some users may want to increase the size of the gadget’s display to make it better readable, which can be helpful especially on larger displays. A click on the settings button allows that and a lot more. The size of the gadget window can be resized to every available size. The value is set as a percentage of the default value. But that’s not the only setting and option available in the eight tabs.

From useful double-click actions to spawn the Windows task manager, to changing the display of graphs, color schemes and interface elements, and enabling additional hardware parameters like core temperatures, users who delve into the options find a lot of useful settings. Gadget save settings to file. File will be created - Path: %APPDATA% Filename: gadgetname_Settings.ini

It is furthermore possible to hide specific information from the System Monitor II interface which is helpful if space is of the essence or if those values are not necessarily needed.

System Monitor II is a great gadget for Vista and Windows 7. Mainly because it combines the most important hardware information in one highly configurable interface, and because its option to launch the task manager with a double-click. That’s really helpful to check a peaking value in the task manager. The gadget is compatible with 32-bit and 64-bit editions of Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008.

CCleaner is a freeware system optimization, privacy and cleaning tool. It removes unused files from your system - allowing Windows to run faster and freeing up valuable hard disk space. It also cleans traces of your online activities such as your Internet history. Additionally it contains a fully featured registry cleaner. But the best part is that it's fast (normally taking less than a second to run) and contains NO Spyware or Adware! :)

Using Tor protects you against a common form of Internet surveillance known as "traffic analysis." Traffic analysis can be used to infer who is talking to whom over a public network. Knowing the source and destination of your Internet traffic allows others to track your behavior and interests. This can impact your checkbook if, for example, an e-commerce site uses price discrimination based on your country or institution of origin. It can even threaten your job and physical safety by revealing who and where you are. For example, if you're travelling abroad and you connect to your employer's computers to check or send mail, you can inadvertently reveal your national origin and professional affiliation to anyone observing the network, even if the connection is encrypted.

How does traffic analysis work? Internet data packets have two parts: a data payload and a header used for routing. The data payload is whatever is being sent, whether that's an email message, a web page, or an audio file. Even if you encrypt the data payload of your communications, traffic analysis still reveals a great deal about what you're doing and, possibly, what you're saying. That's because it focuses on the header, which discloses source, destination, size, timing, and so on.

A basic problem for the privacy minded is that the recipient of your communications can see that you sent it by looking at headers. So can authorized intermediaries like Internet service providers, and sometimes unauthorized intermediaries as well. A very simple form of traffic analysis might involve sitting somewhere between sender and recipient on the network, looking at headers.

But there are also more powerful kinds of traffic analysis. Some attackers spy on multiple parts of the Internet and use sophisticated statistical techniques to track the communications patterns of many different organizations and individuals. Encryption does not help against these attackers, since it only hides the content of Internet traffic, not the headers.

Note that this is a genuine license key and will last 90 days after you install the product and activate it using the license key I mentioned above. After 90 days, you can continue to use the product by purchasing it from the official source if you’re really impressed by the Kaspersky product.

The latest version of Firefox has the following changes:
Added Type Inference, significantly improving JavaScript performance
Improved theme integration for Mac OS X Lion
Added two finger swipe navigation for Mac OS X Lion
Added support for querying Do Not Track status via JavaScript
Added support for font-stretch
Improved support for text-overflow
Improved standards support for HTML5, MathML, and CSS
Fixed several stability issues
Fixed several security issues

Note: External parties tracking Firefox release uptake should be aware that we manage and monitor the rate of automatic updates to ensure a smooth release. Users can always manually check for updates from the About Firefox window to see whether they are up to date.

Mozilla Firefox has over 6,000 add-ons to customize and enhance your web browsing experience. Categories include blogging, tools, entertainment, humor, news, privacy and security, and more. You can add style to your browser with skins and themes. Or, equip your browser bar with a dictionary or add a media toolbar with games and other forms of entertainment. Firefox features the innovative use of open audio and video. With HTML 5 audio and video support (and the Ogg Theora open video format), you can expect a richer media experience with fewer format problems and plug-ins getting in the way. You can even save a video directly from the site to your desktop.

Firefox has tabbed browsing so you can quickly jump from site to site and open more than one website in the same browser window. Firefox also allows you to change the order of your tabs, and has a redo function for when you accidentally delete tabs. The “tab group” feature allows you to place multiple tabs into customizable groups. This is useful if you have several tabs open for specific tasks or on similar topics. There is an add–on for voice interaction so you can navigate the internet through simple voice commands. Firefox's integrated find-on-page function is slick and non-intrusive. You can easily find a word or phrase on a specific webpage without dealing with a pop-up window; Firefox puts the feature right into the bottom of the browser.
This is a great browser for students or others who conduct research on the internet. Mozilla has developed virtual sticky notes so you can add your own notes to web pages, and they will be there when you return. The Library archives your browsing history and bookmarks for easy organization. And, when you need a little break from research, you can access your favorite sites like Twitter and Facebook by using the “pin as app tab” feature. This minimizes the tab of a site that you visit frequently down to just its favicon image, making it easy to jump back and forth between research and leisure.
The innovative Smart Location Bar will adapt to your use and preferences. This handy tool makes it easy to return to websites you've previously visited, even if you don't remember the exact URL. The smart location bar helps you locate sites based on titles and content. The improved "Awesome Bar" has been refined and now includes privacy settings. One-click bookmarking makes it easy to organize your favorites. Firefox also now includes anti-phishing capabilities, a pop-up blocker, a password manager, and parental controls. Another nice feature is the anywhere drag and drop, which allows you to drag text or a link from anywhere on a web page and put it directly into your search bar.

Security:

Firefox has integrated private browsing. With Firefox, you can easily enter and leave the private mode, browsing seamlessly in complete stealth. Furthermore, unlike other browser privacy modes, there is no noticeable icon or change to the interface in private mode. Firefox protects against viruses, spyware, malware, phishing, and pop-ups. Firefox has an integrated password manager, automated updates to help locate and fix security problems, and parental controls.
Another impressive browser security feature is the one-click site info. Simply click on the site in the location bar and you can view important safety information. You can easily clear your personal information including history, cookies, passwords and web-form entries with the click of a button. You can even remove all traces of your visiting any specific site. Think of it as a selective private mode that can go back in time.

Speed & Compatibility:

Firefox has always been a fast internet browser and now it's even faster. We had no problems loading Firefox or quickly navigating from page to page. Firefox provides a fluid web browsing experience from start to finish, and boasts compatibility across the web.
Firefox is fully equipped to accommodate multi-touch gestures with OSX and Windows 7.

Visit Mozillafirefox to update http://www.mozilla.org/

Thanks for upgrading! You’re now ready to enjoy the very latest in speed, flexibility and security. As a non-profit, we’re free to innovate on your behalf without any pressure to compromise. That means a better experience for you and a brighter future for the Web

Google Chrome has a load of easy-to-use features and tools. Chrome takes the traditional toolbar and turns it on end, placing the tabs on top. Google further develops the tab-centric focus with several unique tab features. You can drag tabs from the browser to make new windows, rearrange tabs, and even duplicate tabs. And because each tab is run independently in the browser, if one tab crashes it won’t ruin your whole session.

Chrome features an Incognito mode, so you can browse in private. This stealth browsing mode allows you to open sites and even download files without affecting your histories. Additionally, cookies and passwords are deleted after you close the incognito window. You can even have one browser window open in normal mode and another in incognito mode.
The download manager of Chrome is inconspicuous, integrated at the bottom of the tab where the downloading is occurring. Chrome also has an integrated find on page feature, which appears near the top right corner.
Another nice feature is the anywhere drag and drop, which allows you to drag text or a link from anywhere on a web page and put it directly into your search bar. The smart toolbar gives helpful suggestions while you are typing in it, and makes it easy to revisit a previously viewed site that you’ve forgotten because the toolbar searches through titles as well as actual in-page text.

Security:

Chrome is safe and secure, protecting from phishing schemes, malware, pop-ups, and viruses. Chrome warns you if you’re about to access an unsafe website. You can have Chrome remember your passwords or opt not to.
Google Chrome uses “sandboxing”, which makes every tab run independently in the browser. This is great because if a certain application crashes, it will stay isolated to the tab it’s in, not affecting any other tabs. Different processes run separately in their own tab. This technique helps prevent malware from installing itself on your computer and also stops one tab from taking control of all others. Once you close a tab, that process is completely terminated.
Another innovative feature that Google takes from traditional operating systems and applies to internet browsing is a task manager. Users can open the online task manager and see which websites and applications are running and how much computer memory they are using. Users can even check out the "stats for nerds" section and see detailed information about browser memory usage and the processes running.

Speed & Compatibility:

Google Chrome is fast. We had no problems downloading or installing Chrome. Initializing Chrome for the first time of the day is very fast, as is the average time it takes to open subsequent times. Navigation time is remarkably fast as well.

Google has taken initiative in making Chrome very compatible with the Internet. Chrome was specifically designed to quickly and efficiently load, display, and interact with the huge variety of applications on the web.

Internet Explorer 8 is the latest version of the familiar web browser you are most comfortable using, helping you get everything you want from the web faster, easier, more privately and securely than ever before.

Faster Internet Explorer 8 is more responsive with new pages and tabs, opening up fast and reliably. You can now get to the information you care about most, in fewer steps; one click access to your webmail, favorite news sites or other online services.
Easier Reduce the steps to accomplish many common tasks, and automate your access to real time information updates. You can keep track of your favorite sports team, news, weather with a single click.
More Private Helps protect your privacy and confidential information where ever you go on the web.
More Secure Helps protect and stop malicious software from reaching your PC, and makes it easier to detect when a website is an imposter.

Click the Download button on this page to start the download, or select a different language from the Change languagedrop-down list and click Go.
Do one of the following:
To start the installation immediately, click Run.
To save the download to your computer for installation at a later time, click Save.
To cancel the installation, click Cancel.